A protester reacts to a tear canister launch during clashes with police at a students' demonstration in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens, on March 8, 2024. Thousands of students from across Greece protested in Athens on March 8, hours before parliament was set to approve a disputed law on private universities which they say will create a two-tier favouring the rich.
The proposed measure will make degrees from approved private institutions equivalent to public university diplomas. The bill will also allow foreign universities to open in Greece using a nonprofit status despite charging tuition fees. Athina, a 20-year-old engineering student, said private institutions would eat into the meager funds for public universities and devalue public university degrees.
Parliament spokesman for the main opposition Syriza party, Sokratis Famellos, said Greece spent just 7.1 percent of its budget on education when the European Union average is 9.6 percent.